


Lullaby of The Giant Five

by DistantStar



Series: And the Winner Is [2]
Category: clexa - Fandom
Genre: And A Blind Date, And Hula Hoops, And of Course the Ferris Wheel Breaks Down, Bellamy Blake Doesn't Even Exist in This Fic, Clarke Doesn't Know Lexa's a Rockstar at First, Drag Racing is Mentioned, F/F, Fear of Heights, Fluff, Its Okay Now, Mean Costia, Music Festival, Rating is for Mature Themes, Rockstar!Lexa, The Blind Date at a Music Festival Fic, The Music Festival in the Prison Town Fic, There is a Ferris Wheel Involved, There is also a Red Corvette, Time After Time Happens, no smut in this one, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-05 09:42:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12791856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DistantStar/pseuds/DistantStar
Summary: Clarke is set up for a blind date at a music festival. But she doesn't know that she's actually in for the ride of her life with a Rockstar - and that's not including the Ferris Wheel they get onto.





	1. Up, Up and Away!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke is set up for a blind date at a music festival. But she doesn't know that she's actually in for the ride of her life with a Rockstar - and that's not including the Ferris Wheel they get onto.

Arcadia.

Population 3783.

Otherwise known as ‘that Prison Town’ since the state’s penitentiary was the main attraction with a close second being the drag racing events held a mile from the city limits every once in a while. But really those races were only known to the locals.  Most of the year nobody really thought of Arcadia.

But Clarke had grown up here.  So she knew that once every year the entire Country was looking right at her little hometown. Because once every spring Arcadia shook off the manacles of the title ‘that Prison Town’ and became ‘the Home of the Lullaby of the Giant Five’ instead.  

It was a five day and five night music Event, hence the name, ‘The Giant Five’, and singers of every kind, every age and every genre flooded across ten smaller stages between the food and vendor venues of the massive festival grounds; all vying for the closing show spot on the main stage at the end of each night.  Thousands and thousands of people would camp in tents and r.v.s, in fifth-wheels, campers and trucks, vans and cars or even just sleeping bags and each year she had seen at least one or two boats, in equally massive fields around the festival grounds.  

The truth was two parts - Arcadia was such a tiny town what else were they going to do with all that vacant land except for farm it.  The second part of this truth was that Gustus, the person whom old this land, was a very rich man now.  Instead of selling out one year when Clarke had only been a little Kid he had renamed the place ‘Radiation Ranch’ and tossed his bid as a host to the Giant Five people and now, unlike many other ranchers that fought weather and pests from destroying their crops, Gustus’ ‘crop’ was people. 

And it came in, rain or shine, year after year after year.  They came by the thousands in those r.v.s’ and campers, fifth wheels and trucks and vans, and cars and any kind of vehicle crowding the streets of the little town, causing lines at the gas station and lines at the grocery store, causing lines of cars just trying to get in extending for two miles each direction outside the town’s city limits.

By the end of the week, eight-seven thousand fans could easily be there.

And just like the fans; year after year after year Clarke kept coming back to support Gustus and see what kind of show he put on.  Sitting in the heavy lines of traffic on her way out of the festival grounds to take Raven her lunch she had forgotten that morning at their campsite Clarke couldn’t help but smile in anticipation.  Tonight was the fourth night.  Her group of friends were planning on catching all the shows if they could but there were five of the ten shows competing today for the closing-show rights on the main stage on the last night that they wanted to see the most.  The first of them being a band called ‘The Lost Power House’ which was the opening act of the day. They had a few good songs in the last year which had grabbed them a competition slot on night four.  They were followed by an even lesser known band called ‘Muddy Booty’ that had been driven to this competition by the fact that the one known song they had was such a huge hit last summer that it played on the radio every two or three hours and people actually got sick of it to the point where there were several parodies mocking it.  Muddy Booty though was followed by ‘Lux’ a hot new band from California that was very quickly climbing up the music charts. There was also band in there called ‘Beware of the Annoying Ravens’ competing today that was climbing the charts because of their darker-themed songs.  But the band ‘Grounders’ were the ultimate draw and the reason why everyone was piling through the gates that night.  

Even after finally making it out of Radiation Ranch driving was slower than usual.  The streets of her hometown were crowded with cars trying to get to stores to buy beer or to get to the gas station to fill generators up.  The sidewalks were also full of people trying to sell merchandise, or scalp tickets, or just standing in gaggles like flamingos on corners with their favorite bands paraphernalia or holding up signs that said things like ‘Honk for Grounders!” with many hash tags listed under it.

Alot of people honked.

And while she saw some fans out with signs for the other bands.  The streets seemed swarmed with ‘Grounders’ 

Clarke pulled into the drive of Raven’s auto repair shop at last and got out of her car.  She caught sight of Raven’s black ‘Rooting for Ravens’ banner with stark silver letters and silver bird shapes hanging over the open door of her garage and had to smile  at the sight of it and at her friend’s defiance to go against the flow. Gustus really had no idea how big of a party he turned the town into until the local mechanics even got in on the fun.  

Clarke grabbed Raven raven’s brown paper lunch sack from the passenger seat and closed the car door.  She walked into the shop but didn’t see her friend at first.  Instead she saw several cars that were lined up to be worked on, each in a different state of repair. The closest being a classic red mustang.  Then she heard the clanging sound of a tool hitting concrete and Raven swear, “fuck!  Ow! Fuck!…”

“Raven?” Clarke asked carefully, stalling now, lunch bag in hand.

“Yeah…” Raven’s voice answered, if painfully, from somewhere in the vicinity of the floor under the mustang Clarke had stopped behind.  Clarke smirked and went around the corner of the car and saw her friend’s boots and lower half of her legs sticking out from under it.

“What you doing under there?”

“Fixing this… piece of sh …car, Clarke, what does it look like?”

“Well yeah, I know that but…” she sighed.  She wouldn’t understand the shop-talk completely anyway if Raven dove too deep into the answer. So she just smirked, stepped over the pair of boots, and set the brown lunch bag down on a table in the corner that was supposed to be reserved for eating but was still always filled with tools, bolts, nuts, a laptop and car parts.

“What are you doing here?” Raven asked finally.  Clarke heard another tool drop and Raven curse again, “shit!”

“Really,” Clarke asked in concern. She had no idea what was under this part of the car but she was pretty sure that whatever was there could not be causing this much curse words to be escaping her friend half-buried by car, “Raven, what are you doing?”

“Starving to death apparently from leaving my lunch at the camp.” Raven answered, “Listen, Clarke, I am up for chatting you know this but shouldn’t you be at the show or something?  Or the camp site watching the stupid shit people do in the campsites all around us? Like the ones beating on that propane tank valve with a hammer last night?”

Clarke smirked.  She leaned back against the table and folded her arms, “I brought your lunch.”

There was silence for a few seconds.  She could almost hear Raven considering this.

Then the rolling board whooshed out from under the mustang and her friend appeared and sat up, “you did?” 

Clarke grabbed the lunch-bag from where it was on the table and held it up like a prize, “right here.”

“I could kiss you right about now, you know that, right?” Raven pushed to her feet.  She came over took the bag with greasy hands and sat at the table and started opening it--

“Raven?” Clarke interrupted, a little appalled at what her friend was about to do.

Raven stopped and looked up, “yeah?”

“Hands.” Clarke answered, looking over toward the sink a short distance from her in the counter.

“Oh yeah, right, um…” Raven got up, walked past her as though it was no big deal and went to the sink, “hands.” she muttered.  Then turning on the water she added, “just so hungry I almost forgot to wash up.”

“You did forget Raven,” Clarke pointed out with a smirk.

Raven looked over at her, rolled her eyes, smiled back though, turned back to washing and shut off the water.  She turned again and Clarke tossed her one of the clean towels on the counter near where she was standing.  Raven caught it, “you might have stopped my sandwich from tasting like motor oil.”

Clarke just smiled, “probably wouldn’t have tasted so great.”

Raven went back to her lunch, sat and opened the bag.  She took out the plastic wrapped ham and cheese sandwich and started eating it.  After two bites she asked, “Griff do you think you can do me a favor?”

“Of course,” Clarke answered, “what’s up?”

“Get me a soda?” Raven glanced over at the Pepsi machine in the corner.

“Uh, sure.” Clarke answered.  She started digging in her pockets for change as she walked toward the machine.

“Forget about money,” Raven spoke up from behind her, “punch the button twice and kick the bottom and it will give you the soda you want.” 

Having just arrived at the machine Clarke looked over at her friend in question. Raven was chewing her sandwich and swallowed, “what, am not about to pay for sodas in my own shop. That’s for paying customers,” she grinned and took another bite of her sandwich, “well, now you don’t have to either, I guess.”

Clarke rolled her eyes in response.  Of course Raven would rig the soda machine.  She hit the button to select a can of Pepsi twice and kicked the machine.  

Sure enough, the can of soda dropped out. Clarke grabbed it and took it back to the table and put it in front of her friend, “there you go.  One favor complete.”

“Oh,” Raven swallowed the last of her sandwich, grabbed the soda and opened it.  The can hissed and then popped as she did and Raven swallowed several gulps of the cola down before speaking again, “that’s not the favor.”

“It’s not?”

“Nope.”

“So what’s the favor?”

“I need you to go on a date with someone at the festival tonight.” Raven answered drinking more of the cola down.  Hearing that made Clarke’s eyes widen quickly, “a date?”

“Yeah, a date Clarke,” Raven said with a grin as she set the can down, “she’s a cute girl, from what Anya says, I think she said brunette.”

“A cute girl?” Clarke was almost choking over her own breath from shock--

“Right, yeah.  Anyway I need you to take her out on a date today because Anya won’t leave her to sit all alone at a festival.”

“Wait, who’s Anya?”

“The one I want to take on a date tonight.  She and her friend are apparently in town for the Grounder’s show tonight and their car broke and I got called to go get it and fix it.  Happens to be that piece of…” she nodded at the mustang, “...car right there.  1969 Limited Edition 600.  Amazing year for cars.”

“Wait, what?” Clarke asked.  Staring at Raven, “you want me to go on a date?  You know I haven’t been on a date in--”

“Way too long.” Raven took a deep drink and looked up at her over the edge of the soda can with hopeful eyes, “besides, it’s all already set up.  All you have to do, is show up.”

Clarke sighed deeply because of that hopeful look and she knew she was caving, “fine,” she said, “okay.” she couldn’t argue. Not if it meant alot to Raven.  She could go on a blind date at this festival, “where am I supposed to meet her?”

“Ferris wheel at six.”

Clarke felt her body lock up, “Ferris Wheel?” She must have stopped breathing.  She must have stared for a second longer than she should have at her friend because Raven lifted an eyebrow at her and stopped mid-slurp of her soda.  Clarke explained, “Look, Raven, I’d love to but--”

“Yeah, it’s a damn Ferris Wheel, I know.” Raven started strongly.  Then she sighed and set the can down, sighed and said more gently, “look, I know it’s hard. Especially after what happened. But you don’t have to go on the wheel okay?  Just …just meet her there? Take her out for ice cream?  I hear she and Anya have to work so it’s only a couple hours? Do it for me? I haven’t had a date now in months.”

“But you really went for a Ferris Wheel set up?” Clarke asked, trying to shake off the surge of fear that filled her stomach, “that’s so ..shopworn.” 

“Shopworn?”

“Unoriginal?”

“Says the artist, of course.” Raven countered, “and for a minute here I thought you were talking about my shop.  You’ll go?”

“Sure.” Clarke answered finally, “but how do I know it’s her?” 

“Oh, her name.  Her name is Lexa.”

Lexa. The pretty name caught in Clarke’s brain. Lexa--

“I guess you hold up a sign?” Raven was still answering, Clarke barely heard her because her mind was thinking the girl’s name again and again but finally what Raven was saying faded in, “start calling her name? Ask people passing by. Look, she’s a pretty brunette called Lexa, thats what Anya said.  How you do it is up to you.  I’m just cupid,” Raven smirked finally, “and the messenger.” 

“Right. Right.. I got this.” Clarke said. 

 

-=-

The buses were parked on their reserved lots behind the stage for the festival.  It was good they were.  Because Lexa wasn’t sure if they were moving she’d even be able to stay on her feet right now with what Anya had just said. As a result she was standing in the band’s bus staring at her older sister as though she had suddenly sprouted horns and a tail, “you can’t be serious!”

“Perfectly serious.” Anya dared to look her up and down as though she was the one that was crazy.

“At the Ferris Wheel at six?” Lexa resisted looking at her watch.

“Yeah, that gives you two hours with the girl then you get back here, get cleaned up, get your make-up on and we go out and play songs and win this thing to have the closing act tomorrow night.”

“But the Ferris Wheel, Anya?” Lexa lamented getting to her problem with this pacing, “what kind of impression is that?  Could you not think of anything more original such as …I don’t know, maybe the Bungee Ball or maybe the rock climbing wall at the very least?” 

Anya raised an eyebrow at her and put her hands on her hips, “I could have made it the merry-go-round.”

“Yes, yes, you could have,” Lexa realised suddenly, “and I could just _skip_ town.”

“You’d really dodge the Giant Five, even just performing here tonight not to mention winning the closing act --just to not have to meet a girl?”  Anya looked her over then after a second and Lexa realized from the change in the air around them that her sister might suddenly have realized what the heart of the issue was.  When Anya’s lips parted, when she blinked in realization and folded her arms across her chest Lexa knew she had and intentionally looked away. But Anya still said it, “You’re afraid she’s going to be here?”

Lexa fought the urge to roll her eyes by closing them instead and leaning back into the counter behind her, “there is a chance.” She rubbed the back of her neck, turned around and flopped into the space opposite of the counter that functioned as Anya’s single bed, “it’s a big festival.”

“It’s a _Huge_ festival.”

“I know--”

“Costia is a music producer---”

“I know, Anya, I know.” Lexa grabbed her pillow and put it over her face.

Anya’s voice reminded, “She said you would never make it in this industry.” 

“I know, Anya.” Lexa almost growled out from under the pillow.  She could remember the humiliating day that Costia had left.  She could remember all the words she used taunting her dream--

Anya grabbed the pillow away from her face and threw it somewhere behind her into the, “and yet you’re here. At Giant Five. In spite of her. Getting ready to burn down that stage tonight with all your songs she laughed at.”

Lexa felt herself nodding slowly, watching her sister.  Anya.  God she loved her sister. Especially at times like this.  Lexa had a feeling where this was going so she heaved a sigh, “I remember.”

“So she might be here? She probably is, so what?” Anya asked.  Lexa just nodded weakly because she though this was Anya’s point, to forget about her lover.  But it wasn’t.  Instead Anya reached down and grabbed her hand and pulled roughly her to sit.  Then she let her hand go and motioned with a finger back in the direction she threw the pillow, “so you go out there and you show her _everything_  she’s lost.  And not just your music.”

Lexa smiled at her sister, softly, and shaking a head at her tough love, “I will go on your blind date, Anya.”

“Good.” Anya nodded at her.  Then her eyes drifted over the white tank top and gray sweat pants Lexa had on before finally asking hesitantly, “so what are you going to wear?”

Lexa blinked.  She hadn’t considered that, “I ..” she began.

“I would suggest something besides that.”

“Of course not this.” Lexa answered, glaring at Anya. 

Anya shrugged and stepped back, “and I would also suggest,” she said, rolling her eyes around the interior of the bus to implicate the entire festival environment, “something that doesn’t scream ‘rock-star.’ But I think if you don’t wear your trademark war-paint you might survive the crowds long enough to maybe kiss the--”

“Anya.” Lexa protested.  

“She’s a blonde.”

“Anya…”

“Yes?”

Lexa sighed out, “What is her name?”

“Claire, I think. No wait.  It wasn’t a common name for a girl.  Colin? No,” Anya scrunched up her face a little, “Clarke. That was it. Her name is Clarke.”

“Clarke?” Lexa found herself trying the name out, “so, this blind date thing? How do I know it’s her?”

“I don’t know,” Anya shrugged, “I said she’s a blonde? There can’t be too many blonde girls out there named Clarke hanging out at the Ferris Wheel can there?”

She had a point.  Still, Lexa flopped back down onto her bed, “you’re something else, Anya, you know that right? Besides,” she asked, realizing something suddenly.  Realizing suddenly this was not a normal behavior for her usually even more socially-allergic-than-herself sister, “what is with you? What is all this you wanting me to go on a date all the sudden?”

“Oh,” Anya answered as though it was a passing thought because she had to keep her cold image up even if Lexa knew better and saw the hint of a smile on her sister’s lips. That was enough for Lexa to sit up and get hopeful for her sister again, “tell me.  You have a date tonight too, don’t you?”

“That is actually not any of your business.” Anya got casually defensive and Lexa smirked because she knew she hit the nail right on the head.  Anya went on, “so, get up and get dressed.  Maybe a white tank, jeans and our jacket to cover that tattoo--”

Lexa looked down at her tattoo on her arm. She grunted because it was true.  Heda was becoming known for it, “I think I can dress myself, Anya.”

“Okay, then.  I am going.  Get up. Get ready,” Anya answered, “See you at eight.” she turned then and left the bus.  Only after she had did Lexa look at her watch. It said it was five-thirty.

She sat up.  She had to hurry.

With a grunt and realizing Anya knew she wasn’t going to have time to be picky she started pulling the things her sister hand suggested on. 

 

-=-

Since it was a music festival it probably wasn’t ideal to go out in a dress, Clarke wore her baby blue ‘Grounders’ band t-shirt instead. 

It was also six on the dot and she was standing in front of crowds around and passing by the Ferris Wheel trying to look for a brunette maybe looking for her but not finding anyone.  No one was stopping and the corny sounding carnival music from the rides close by was very nearly drowning out the songs that Muddy Booty was playing because the stage they were on was too far away.  

At a minute past six Clarke held her ground.  A kid tripped in front of her.  She helped him up.

At five minutes past six she started thinking she might be stood up.

At six minutes past six she started to turn a slow circle where she was just to be sure she wasn’t missing a cute brunette girl by Raven’s description.

At six minutes and thirteen seconds past six the crowd parted behind her and she saw a quiet looking girl with that description standing with her back against the steel rail of the attraction, looking around as though she too were scanning the crowds doubtfully. She had on a white shirt and Grounder’s jacket, her brown hair loose and blowing slightly on the wind. 

Clarke felt her heart skip hard inside her.  She also felt that sudden rush of anxiety slam into her and make her legs want to give out from under her.  What if that girl was her date? 

Crowds passed between them.  Clarke started to panic.  She started to move forward through them.  But then when she came out the other side the girl was gone.  Clarke felt her shoulders drop suddenly as she stood there staring at where the girl had been--

“Clarke?”

Clarke turned to find the cute girl right behind her, “Lexa?”

Lexa suddenly looked relieved as Clarke felt and a nervous smile crept across the girl’s face, “hi.”

“Hey,” Clarke returned.  Lexa from a distance was beautiful.  But up close, combined with her voice, she was truly making Clarke’s heart skip, “I um… nice to meet you.” 

“Nice to meet you, Clarke.” Lexa answered. And that smile was there again, the shy one that was barely hiding on soft lips that made Clarke want to stare even more than she already was staring, the smile that was more in the sparkle of green eyes.  Then Lexa was extending her hand forward and slowly as though her brain was full of clouds Clarke realized she was supposed to shake it.  She reached up and gripped Lexa’s fingers.  Lexa officially introduced, “I’m Lexa.” 

“Clarke,” Clarke replied. She smiled at this girl.  Lexa seemed so polite and even sweet but there was also something that was very …shut down? About her? And it wasn’t that Lexa wasn’t out going.  She had been the one to speak first and even offer her hand first.  At that thought Clarke realized she was still gripping Lexa’s warm fingers in hers.  She let them go fast and put them behind her back and felt a blush crawling up her neck, “some friends we have, yes?” she offered as a way of small talk.  This was also a topic they could both agree on even if they knew nothing else about each other.

“Right, I know.” Lexa’s smile actually flashed over her beautiful face as she pushed her hair back over her shoulder, “Anya’s got it in her head that I need to date more.”

Clarke snorted softly, “Funny, Raven thinks I do too.  Figure that,” she added, “they put two and two together and--”

“Set us up?” Lexa finished with an amused twitch of her eyebrow.  Clarke shrugged softly at her and offered a small smile, “Yep.”

“That’s just Anya.” 

“Raven too.” Clarke replied quickly, “I’m not complaining though. Spend a couple hours with a beautiful girl?” she gave a quick smile and a shrug. She blushed a little realizing the compliment had just slipped out.

“I’m not complaining either.” Lexa agreed.

“So,” Clarke’s heart was racing. She knew it was going to get more awkward than it already was building to be here any second if she didn’t find something to do.  Looking around she caught sight of the Ferris Wheel and couldn’t quite believe what she was about to do just for a chance to be with this girl, “want to ride it?” she asked, looking up up up at the wheel.   _Shit, shit, shit, Clarke ..what are you doing?_ The annoying little voice started in her head.  She bit her teeth together in her mouth to silence it and looked back over at Lexa to see she was looking up at the wheel too.  Lexa asked, “do you have ride tickets?” she looked at Clarke, “I can buy us some.”

Oh wow. Chivalrous. Clarke’s insides did a little nervous quiver as a result that suddenly she was going to mess up around this beautiful girl or maybe ..maybe not be able to even get in that dreaded thing but still she smiled, “you are my date.  I would by them.”

“But you are my date too.”

“True,” Clarke countered, “but I already have some.” Clarke did not really ride rides. Raven had given them to her. 

“Ah.”

“So, shall we?” Clarke asked.

Lexa looked again at the wheel in question, “sure.” 

“Okay.” Clarke turned.  So did Lexa.  She pulled in a deep breath as they walked toward the rail around the attraction that she hoped the other girl would not hear. There was a short line for it as they stood there Clarke looked over at the girl next to her and realized the pounding of her heart was about way more than just going on this ride.  Clarke felt like she was shaking apart like a leaf inside. But Lexa was beautiful.  Lexa was gorgeous actually and Clarke found herself staring at the other girl’s soft pink lips--

“Your turn Miss.” the voice of the rides attendant called to her suddenly.  It seemed too loud and Clarke jerked a little bit, called back from where her thoughts had traveled to. She looked ahead to see the line had cleared in front of them and she was holding up the people behind them.  Quickly and before she could talk herself out of it and without thinking about it she grabbed Lexa’s wrist in her clammy hand and tugged her forward toward the attendant, “we’d like to go together?” 

He nodded.  He looked over at the ride as the next empty basket came around.  Then he looked at her, “two tickets.”

Clarke dug for the tickets from her jeans pockets and handed a rumpled pair of them over to the guy.  He counted them as though he couldn’t tell there were two tickets, dropped them into the brightly colored collection box, and then waved them past him.

Clarke started up the short flight of stairs and onto the attraction’s loading space.  She distracted herself from what she was doing by smiling at Lexa who was two steps behind her before she was ushered into the ride by another ride attendant into an empty red Ferris Wheel basket and sat down.  With trembling fingers she grabbed for the seat belt and was quickly clicking it in place as Lexa slid into the basket  and sat beside her.  The attendant leaned in, “make sure you have your safety belts on at all times,” he started. Then as if he realized she already had he looked specifically at Lexa then stood back and stayed there as though waiting.  Glancing across at her, Lexa quickly put her belt on too. Satisfied the attendant stepped back again and pulled a lever and the basket they were in moved up and back one spot so the next people could board.

“This is really nice, Clarke,” Lexa said to her with honesty in her pretty voice.

This caused Clarke to look at her and the look of sincerity and happiness on Lexa’s face made her forget she was hanging from a basket gradually going higher and higher with each passenger that climbed onto it into the sky.  It made her forget anything.  Even breathing.  And then she felt her heart give a tiny thump at the little smile Lexa gave her and that made Clarke smile too, “we might,” she began to speak, “we might have to thank our obnoxious friends.” 

“I think they thought we needed babysitters,” Lexa smirked, “but yes.” 

The ride went up just a little more, “oh it will so go to their heads.” Clarke said anyway.  She was crazy.  She knew she was suddenly.  What was she doing up on this ride just to be with this pretty girl for a minute?  A beautiful girl that quite honestly she knew she was on this ride for because she suddenly didn’t want her out of her sight?  Even if it meant going up on rides like these that went a half mile into the air?  That minute though the ride must have reached capacity because suddenly it started working and rotating and they were climbing higher and higher constantly now into the sunset sky. The festival grounds, the stages and the campsites all around it spread out on each side into the distance.  And Clarke’s heart suddenly felt utterly and strangely calm, “this is amazing.” she realized. 

“It is,” Lexa answered.  She looked across as if noticing or the first time the shirt Clarke had on, “you like the band?” her eyes looked up at Clarke’s almost hopefully. 

Clarke looked down at her shirt, “Grounders? They’re just awesome.”

“Favorite song?”

“Winds of Time.” Clarke answered, “you know alot of people don’t really know what that song is about?”

Lexa looked interested, “what do you think it’s about?” 

“That love eternal.  That people meet in eternal cycles if they are supposed to.”

Lexa smiled at her, “I think you might be right.  But alot of people think it’s the opposite, that it’s about loosing friends to time.”

“Yeah, my foster sister Octavia is one of them.  But you know what?”

“What Clarke?” Lexa asked her eyes bright, her tone curious.

Clarke shrugged and said carefully, “I think when Heda wrote that song, she meant for it to be that way? So people took from it what they needed to?”

This for some strange reason made Lexa inhale deeply before saying, “you might be right.” She changed the subject, “so, we talked about Heda. We talked about friends.  We talked about Grounders.  Tell me something about you, Clarke and then…” she seemed to be preparing herself as though for a big reveal as she said, “then I will tell you something about me.”

The basket was getting closer to the top of the wheel, Clarke realised suddenly. This made her limbs jelly with nerves just a bit.  But she thought quickly. Because suddenly in front of her Lexa seemed nervous too and Clarke had a feeling it wasn’t about the idea of falling and she wanted a way to make her less nervous so she spat the first thing she thought of out, “I was born in prison.” 

“What?” Shock flashed over Lexa’s pretty face. Clarke felt herself starting to grin, and smirk and smile even and when she did she saw the shock start to fade a little from Lexa’s expression.  So, clearing her throat to clarify Clarke went on, “no, my Mom wasn’t an axe murderer, or something. She worked there as a doctor.” 

“Oh.” Lexa exhaled just a little more, and she blinked a little as she digested this and then a shy smile started to fill her face, “for a minute I--”

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by the horrible screeching of gears and moaning metal as the wheel protested turning and juddered to a stop.

 _Shit!_ Clarke felt her lungs turn to slush. She felt her bones lock up. It was broken. Small breaths escaped her lungs too quickly.  The damn wheel was broken she should have known never to get on this thing--

Lexa had grabbed the basket rail and looked over the side, “I wonder what is--”

“Don’t do that!” Clarke grabbed her quickly and pulled her back into the basket, wrapping her arms around her automatically as she did.  She didn’t know she was shaking--

“Clarke,” Lexa’s arm closed hesitantly around her back, “are you okay?”

“It stopped working.” Clarke realised she shouldn’t be holding onto a girl she had just met like this but her eyes were squeezed shut tight and her head was on Lexa’s shoulder to keep her where she was. She didn’t know her.  But she couldn’t let her look over the rail again. 

Lexa’s other arm slid around her as well, “Clarke, it’s just a malfunction. I am sure they are going to fix it. I saw them already trying. Look...” she tried to move.  Clarke latched on harder, “no.” she felt Lexa stiffen hesitantly and then she felt a gentle slide of the Lexa’s warm hand down her hair and soft words were spoken near her ears, “what is wrong? You are scared of heights?”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Clarke muttered, through her teeth.  She felt the panic rising in her and she knew she was sliding into a spiral, “why am I up here if I am scared of heights--”

“I wasn’t thinking anything like that.” Lexa said, “I was thinking. This is not just about a broken Ferris Wheel--”

The wheel jerked and the basket plunged down twenty feet before catching.  Taking Clarke with it, making her arms tighten.  Making Lexa’s tighten too.  Clarke swallowed, “my dad.” she said at last, grabbing at the front of Lexa’s jacket and crinkling it in her hand as she did, “my dad died.  He fell to his death while rock climbing.  I saw it happen.  What if I fall?” 

Lexa flinched, hard, in Clarke’s arms.  And for a minute there was silence.  Complete utter silence except for the moaning of metal that suddenly made Clarke realize she had slipped into a complete panic attack in the arms of a complete stranger.  Embarrassment washed over her like a storm and she quickly moved to pull from Lexa, “I’m sorry I…”

Lexa’s arms tightened, _“if you fall I will catch you you will find me…”_ the words were sung soft against Clarke’s hair in the most beautiful voice Clarke ever heard.  She felt herself struck silent by them and lifted her face slowly to look up into watery green eyes.  Lexa sang the next words softly, _“time after time.”_

Clarke felt herself shaking, _“time after time.”_ she sang back.

Lexa grinned and started laughing a little, _“time after time.”_

Clarke started laughing too and sank back her voice getting a little stronger, _“time after time.”_

 _“Time after time,”_ Lexa whispered, she moved a hand and stroked it tangled hair back from Clarke’s face, _“its okaay now.”_

Clarke bit her lip.  She wanted to trace Lexa’s lips with her fingers.  She looked down instead at her own fist tightened around Lexa’s jacket--

“You okay now?” Lexa asked quietly.

“Yeah.” Clarke answered, “should I… do I have to move?”

“You are fine, Clarke. I said I won’t let you fall. I will hold you until we are on the ground.”

Clarke felt herself blush a little and said nothing back.  Her eyes moved to the silver chain around Lexa’s neck and the little gear shaped charm dangling from it, “what is this?” she asked, gently touching it. After a second she realized she recognized it as the same symbol Heda wore with her war paint. She also felt Lexa flinch a little and Clarke glanced up at her and slowly pulled her fingers back from the charm.

“It is okay,” Lexa admitted, “it’s just, that charm.  My sister and I.  We had it rough for a while. Its a reminder of that to keep us grounded.”

Clarke felt herself smiling softly and studied the little charm where it lay on the girl’s skin.  Around them.  The lights on the wheel made it sparkle a little, “can you believe we just did that?” Clarke asked quietly, she felt a laugh trying to escape her.

“Did what?”

“Sang that,” Clarke sat back a little, enough to look at Lexa, even as the girl’s arms loosened but still stayed around her, “sappy old song*?” Clarke shook her head, and now did let her laugh escape, “it was pretty amazing though. I’ve never had anyone do something like that--”

The wheel started moving.  Not a fast, hard jerk that sent them dropping like before, but a slow, controlled, downward decent that carried them little by little back toward the ground, stopping from time to time to let the other passengers out.  Only when it was there turn did Lexa unwrap her arms from around Clarke fully. They didn’t bother looking at the attendants. Not even when he offered thier tickets back.  On wobbly legs though Clarke made her way across the loading area, down the short stairs and away from the Ferris Wheel with Lexa’s hand in hers. 

Only after she put enough space between herself and the wheel did she look back at it at last. She felt her eyes travel up up up to the highest part. For some reason it felt like she faced a demon up there--

As though Lexa knew her thoughts she tightened her fingers a little in Clarke’s and said softly, “I think you won.”

Clarke looked over at Lexa to see her smiling softly. It made her smile softly too. Then she remembered Raven’s suggestion, “you want Ice Cream?”

“Sure.” 

“Okay,” Clarke answered, she looked around the crowded area to get her bearings. Over the sound of voices and carnival music she could actually hear Ash Lux on the stage now somewhere close by. Unlike the Muddy Booty Band, Lux could sing.  Clarke looked at Lexa again, smiled and led off, “this way.”

They had to pass several vendors to get to the area designate as the ‘food court’.  Many of those vendors were for the bands playing at the show, some sold wood carvings, some sold cowboy hats, some sold glass bottles of sand, or jewelry or custom plates or other such things.  Clarke had wandered through most of it looking at the crafts people had made to sell. The lady selling the hand-made painted fans took most of her money the day before. But she had enough left for ice cream tonight.  On their way by they passed a car-dealership though that had many of their car models open and on the festival grounds for display.  Under the big tent the dealership’s employees were calling out, “come sign up for a free truck!” and also, “free truck give away!” and “pick a prize just for entering!” Clarke rolled her eyes and smirked.  The cars made her remember though, “hey how did your car end up at my friend’s shop?” it was ultimately what brought them here.

“Oh, Anya was racing it.” Lexa replied, “You know in those races you have here? When she found out about them I couldn’t stop her. I might have to thank her, actually, for not listening.”

She might have to thank Raven too, Clarke realized.  But then she felt her hand pull her to a stop because Lexa had stopped behind her.  Clarke turned around, “what?”

“Don’t you want to do this?” Lexa asked, motioning to where the dealerships were at tables getting people to sign up, “they are giving out prizes just for filling in a form--”

“They only want your information so they can email you ads--”

“Look though! They are handing out key chains! Oh!” Lexa’s eyes lit up when she saw what a couple of women near the end of the table were handing out, “and light up hula hoops.”

“Lexa..” Clarke began to say.  She didn’t need a hula hoop that glowed in the dark. But Lexa was already making a bee line for that dealership employee.  And she was already bent over the table and filling out the form by the time Clarke had caught up with her.  Clarke could say nothing though.  She had to laugh and felt her heart explode just a little at the excitement in Lexa’s eyes when the woman handed her a glowing hula hoop and Lexa turned to her with it, “watch, Clarke.” she said with excitement in her voice.  Taking Clarke’s hand she led them to an empty-ish space, let Clarke’s hand go, pushed her hair back behind her shoulders, put the hula hoop over her body and started to use it.

Sure enough it lit up and closed with every shake and rotation of Lexa’s slim hips. Clarke felt herself laughing as Lexa did tricks with it, shaking her body and moving all the way around the tent for several seconds, catching not only her eye but everyone else’s there.  Some of the kids even started throwing more of the hoops at her and Lexa would catch them and put them on and use them as well.  After a few minutes of this though, and after she had caught and was keeping up somehow with her swaying hips and dance moves, and after people started clapping for her Lexa finally slowly started removing the hoops one at a time and tossing them back to their owners until her own was the last and she finally made her way back to Clarke and stopped, “well?” Lexa asked, her eyes shining she took the hoop from her body and held it as it glowed and shimmered where her hands touched it.  She looked at Clarke hopefully.

Clarke realized that very second, she was actually in awe and speechless, “that was amazing.” she admitted, blinking and trying to catch her breath back that she hadn’t know she had been holding, “where did you learn to do that?”

“Dance lessons.” Lexa answered.  She held the hoop toward Clarke, “here.”

“Oh, I can’t.” Clarke protested instantly, “I mean …I couldn’t even keep the thing up--”

With a quiet smile Lexa looked at the hoop and then at Clarke, “you don’t have to. I just want you to have it.”

Clarke relented.  With a blush she reached and took the hoop from Lexa.  The glow danced and shifted with touch as it traded hands--

“There you are.” a new voice spoke up through the crowds, a woman’s voice that Clarke didn’t recognize but one that had Lexa turning toward it so Clarke did too.  To Clarke’s surprise Raven, grinning ear to ear, cut through the crowds to stand where they were and with her was a beautiful blonde woman that happened to be the speaker.

“Anya.” Lexa spoke up.  She smiled too.  She closed the step to Anya, “this is Clarke?” she turned to introduce them.  “Clarke, this is my sister Anya.”

“Did you have a good time, Clarke?” Raven asked her.

“Yeah,” Clarke snapped out of it, “we …we were just about to get ice cream.” 

“Oh wow sis,” Anya smirked at her, “did you actually forget about tonight?”

“Oh.” Lexa’s face fell.  And when it did Clarke felt her mood fall a little too and the air seemed to go sad around them.  Lexa turned slowly, “I--”

“I know... I know, look, its okay.” She smiled at Lexa trying to pretend she wasn’t feeling like she was loosing her, “I had alot of fun.” she clutched the hoop tight in her hands and pressed it to the ground.

“Clarke..” Lexa turned to her fully.

“No, Lexa,” Clarke assured her. She smiled a real smile, “I really, really did.”

“God, you two are making me sick.” Anya spoke up, “I will wait over here.  Kiss her already, Lexa,” Anya turned and shuffled a few feet away through the crowd, “we got to go.”

“Give you some space.” Raven smirked as well, and moved to stand with Anya a minute more.

With a sigh, Lexa a stared at her friend.  With a sigh Clarke stared at hers as well. Lexa turned to look at her again at the same minute Clarke did, “did you mean it?”

“I did.” Clarke offered quietly, “thank you Lexa. I forgot all this…” she looked around them to implicate what they were doing, the brief time they had, “I forgot how it could feel.”

“I had a good time too.”  This time it was Lexa who pulled in a deep breath.  She looked over at Anya standing several feet away talking to Raven and she looked at Clarke again, “I have to go. But it will only be for a few hours. Can I call you after?” she seemed unable to breathe for a second.  In fact she seemed to have to pause and catch a breath, “and take you up on that ice cream?”

“You’re asking me on a second date?” Clarke grinned, and rolled the hoop a little in her hands.

“Yes.”

“The shop will be closed.” Clarke pointed out with an amused smirk.

“A drink, then?” Lexa suddenly seemed hesitant, “we could go get drink?”

Clarke smiled.  Without a word she turned from Lexa and felt her step after her in almost a panic as though to catch up with her.  She did by the time Clarke reached the table where people were filling out forms.  Clarke grabbed a pen from it and looked up at Lexa’s surprised eyes, “give me your hand?” she asked.

Lexa opened her palm.

Clarke wrote her number on it quickly. She closed the pen and set it on the table, “call me tonight?”

Lexa was nodding.  She was staring at her fingers and nodding, “I will. I will yes.”  She looked up at Clarke and suddenly blurted, “are you watching the Grounders show tonight?”

“I am, Lexa.” Clarke answered, “but I think you …have to work?”

Lexa nodded, “I do,” she seemed to be forgetting how to breathe, “so …will you watch it for me?”

“I will Lexa,” Clarke answered, “yes.” 

 

-=-

*Song Credit: 'Time after Time' by Cyndi Lauper

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked 'The Giant Five'. For more Lullaby or to follow me on tumbler click [HERE](https://adistantstarblog.tumblr.com/gfaushort).
> 
> Kudos are appricated if you liked it. Thanks for reading. :)


	2. Written in the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa is heartbroken. Clarke thinks she was stood up. But she never could have dreamed what really happened the night before. But suddenly there's Lexa, up on stage, in warpaint - and she's closing out the Giant Five...

Eighty-three thousand people were facing her.  In the rapidly shifting white and gold lights of the stage Lexa could see them jumping and screaming as though in slow motion in the dark.  Sweat rolled down her body as she made the final jump into the air and landed on one knee in front of the screaming crowd as the last beats of the drums and strains of the music of her song ‘Faded Battalion’ blasted out through the mega speakers tall as a building on each side of her little island in a storm of people.  This was their third encore. 

They were not going to be allowed another one that night.  Gasping deep gulps of air into her lungs security pulled her to her feet and pulled her from the stage amid the roar of the pleading crowd.  She hoped it was enough.  She hoped it was enough to win the final act on the closing night so she could give these people another two hours of her songs.  She caught Anya’s eye as she was being pulled away from the drumset.  Anya was a few short steps behind her as Lexa went around the corner of the stage backdrop and down a small set of steps to where she was let go at last to nearly collapse against a concrete wall that supported the stage rigging.  Closing her eyes she pulled in more deep breaths, her body shaking and trembling with the exertion from her show.  Anya was there and handing her a bottle of water.  Lexa took it and opened it and gulped half of it down in one go. 

Anya snorted at her, “your warpaint is more drippy than usual.”

“Yeah,” Lexa muttered stopping drinking her water just for a minute to breathe and talk, “go figure. It’s called sweat.” She started gulping the water down again. Her water gone she closed the bottle and threw it into the nearest recycle bin, “you think we won?” she asked, her heart still pounding erratically.  She leaned forward and had her hands on her knees, “Clarke,” she said, the blonde girl had been on her mind the whole show.  Clarke whom had said she was out there watching.  Lexa gave her performance more than her usual, more than her all, knowing that girl was watching tonight, “I have to call Clarke.  I have to tell her.  I want to tell her it was me on stage. I want to tell her I think we won.”

“That’s what you were so worked up for out there.” Anya snorted; Lexa looked up at her through dripping war paint with annoyed eyes.  To anyone else, the look may have been terrifying.  But Anya was pretty used to it.  Anya just snorted, “Yeah,” she said, “I think we won.”

Lexa grinned ear to ear.  She glanced back the direction of the stage.  On the other side she could hear announcers making announcements about the proceedings for the line up until the prized position of the closing act as yet to be determined for tomorrow, and the crowds leaving.  She could now call Clarke.  She could go and find her.  She grabbed the hem of her black shirt and started wiping at her face paint--

“Woah, woah, Lex,” Anya scolded immediately. This made Lexa look at her again.  Anya was staring at her like she was doing something totally gross.  And she probably was.  She realised she was wiping her eyes with a sweaty shirt.  Lexa didn’t care.  She had to find Clarke.  Anya went on, “there’s towels and stuff around the corner,” she smirked, “clean ones.  Water too.  Wash up,” she instructed and turned, “and call your girl.” Anya started walking away.

Her girl.

Clarke wasn’t her girl.  Not technically.  Not yet.  But it didn’t stop her heart from giving a little extra thump the minute she heard the suggestion.  She would call Clarke now.  They would go out for drinks.  A goofy grin crossed Lexa’s face.  She ignored her sister and instead flipped over her hand to look at Clarke’s phone number again--

\--it was gone.

She stared at where it should have been.  It was too dark to see.  Lexa ran toward the nearest light and put her hand under it and checked again, “no…” it was gone.  Her hands were sweaty.  All that was left of where it should be was a smeared dab of sweat and ink.  “No.” she repeated.  Her heart starting to race with dread and her body starting to fill with panic she shouted after her sister, “Anya!”  Lexa felt herself running toward her.  The distress in her voice must have caused Anya to know something was wrong because ahead Lexa saw her stop and turn around fast.  Anya helped close the last few steps between them, “what..what Lexa?”

Heaving in breath’s Lexa held her palm out, “it’s gone.”

“What?”

“Her number, Anya!  How could I be so stupid!  It sweated off!” She looked at the smear of ink in her palm again.  It was not even legible.  Just an almost transparent smudge made by her still sweaty but quickly cooling hands, “it’s gone.” 

-=-

If she could capture it, and put it in a bottle, Clarke told herself, she would be able to do both: hold on to the memories of the two hours she had shared with a girl named Lexa, preserving them forever without adding in the fact that she hadn’t called.  If she could capture it in a bottle, then she could do both hold onto those things forever and also let them go.

But she didn’t have such a bottle.  No one did. Bottles to trap memories in didn’t exist and what she was feeling was a mix between empty, hurt and terrified.  Empty because nothing was left for her to do but sit and wait for the Festival to end tonight.  Hurt because she had truly thought the girl would actually call her back as she had been the one to ask to see her again.  Terrified because of how those few hours made her feel and terrified more because now she had to somehow find a way to forget them.

But mostly she just felt utterly drained, utterly empty, inside.  The other feelings were fleeting and passed in flashes in the pit of her body mixed with feelings of panic.

It was hot.

Music from a half a dozen close sites blasted through the grounds.  She was hearing about seven different songs from close by all at once causing it to be more distraction than actual music. Music from dozens of other camps within range of hearing filtered in the background.  So did sounds of people laughing, people drinking, people just doing stupid shit--

People walked past back and forth in what she could only call herds in the center row between, heading to and from campsites, over to the festival grounds which she was trying very hard to stay away from until the last minute before they had to leave for the closing show tonight.  Grounders had won the competition for the closing slot .Hot air balloons were floating close to the ground in half dozens advertising the band; black balloons with the band name and Alexandria’s war paint mask.  They were filming.  She didn’t care.  She kept thinking that maybe she would end up on camera.  But she didn’t care about that either.  Her friends did.  Octavia and Raven ran out in swimsuit tops and shorts into the center rows each time a balloon drifted close--

“Hey, can I lei you?” A voice stopped and asked.  She looked up from her sketchbook in her lap to find herself looking at a man about her age with shaggy brown hair with covered in body paint but with nothing else but shorts and boots on along with for our five flower leis around his neck.  She got the idea quickly that he meant the flower necklaces.  It was probably one of the oldest lines the books.  The other two started smirking and laughing, apparently thinking this was cute.  He was standing between two other guys, one that was skinny and had a shock of brown curls and a pair of goggles on his head the other was Asian and looked sweet but also quiet--

Clarke’s charcoal pencil slowly stopped in her left hand, “what?” she asked.  It took a second for her to recognize him under the red and blue and purple body paint, “Finn?”

“Hi Princess,” Finn slurred, “These are my friends, Monty and Jasper.  Just met em up here, yeah. We wanted to know if we could lei you.” he plucked at one of the necklaces he wore with his thumb and fore-finger and then looked up at her and wriggled his eyebrows stupidly.

“No, Finn.” she said, automatically curling her hands in to protect what she was drawing, “that is the stupidest line in the book. Besides, what are you doing here?”

“Trying to find you, of course.”

“Go away,” Clarke said, still trying to recognize why he had just said that, “I told you, I don’t want anything to do with you--”

“It was an accident.” Finn stated, “it wasn’t what you saw.”

“Cheating on someone is not an accident.” Clarke countered, “pretty sure it was exactly what I saw.”

Finn just snorted.  He took off one of the lei’s and dropped it over her head anyway, “well, number’s still the same princess.  Call me when you get off this high horse.  Like you have never gone with someone when you’ve had a chance.”

“Not if I’m involved with someone else,” Clarke countered.  Taking the lei off she tossed it into the campfire burning low enough to just keep the coals warm to cook the foil wrapped chicken and potatoes roasting in it.  In the back of her head as the plastic flowers started to burn she felt herself hoping she had not ruined their dinner, “if you can cheat on someone, Finn, then you didn’t love that person enough to think about them …and stop.”

Octavia suddenly was at her side, “you need to get out of here.” she said briskly, stepping into Finn’s space, “before I remove you myself for both Clarke and Raven’s sake--” 

Finn just snorted and turned and started walking off.  The two guys with him looked at her, looked at Octavia a second longer, and then turned and followed their new friend away.  Finn vanished into the moving crowds of people in the center row that were playing beer pong a few camps down.  

“What are the odds.” Octavia mumbled, still staring the direction he had gone in as though she was rabid and still ready to attack. She was hauling the case of her keyboard out of their tent.

“He lives in this town. Its something we used to do together. Odds are pretty good.” Clarke returned her attention to her drawing.  She realized slowly she was drawing the damned Ferris Wheel and hadn’t even been thinking of it.  She bit her lip, tracing a finger over the little cup shaped buckets.

Lexa hadn’t called.  Clarke stared at the picture.  She felt sadness building in her chest like it had been doing off and on all day long.  She had scared her, Clarke thought, she had read the signals wrong and Lexa probably didn’t like girls at all…

“Clarke, our dinner might taste like plastic now.” Octavia was pulling the burning lei out of the fire with a long stick.  She heard her friend snort, “but good work. Hey,” she asked tapping the keyboard case, “think I can get Grounders to sign this tonight if we can get close enough?”

“I know, they might not let you take it onto the grounds. Might thing it’s a weapon in there.” She had to stop thinking of Lexa.

“Its just an empty case.” Octavia protested, opening it up to show her.

“You can try. They might have you open it up.” Clarke didn’t want to dash Octavia’s hopes. But she left the drawing unfinished as her own hopes and been and turned to the next page of the book to try capturing something else.   She looked around her at different camps.  The beer pong game was going strong in the center row a few camps down.  Across from it more crowds of people from a camp that took up eight spots were cheering on a guy as he chugged down a beer as quickly as possible, put his forehead to the handle end of a baseball bat and held the other end of it to the ground and started to try and run around and around it as fast as he could without either falling down or letting go of the bat or picking up his head.  He made it two times around and was halfway through the third before falling.

“That is the craziest game.” Octavia mentioned, dropping into her chair beside Clarke’s and pulling her sunglasses over her eyes.

Clarke looked over at her briefly offered a tiny smile and to watching people for inspiration.

The camp directly across from theirs was the quiet camp on the row.  It was four spots wide, with an r.v. across the back, two large tents at each end and was completely covered in by canvas canopies decorated with Christmas lights.  They had a fake fire pit in the middle.  The campers themselves seemed like a family as they had two little boys with them.  There was an older couple, a younger couple, and then a single girl that caught her eye once or twice over the past few days.  The girl grabbed a fan from her tent, plugged it into a generator and sat in front of it and started tapping on her leg with her hand.  Maybe Clarke should draw her to help her forget about Lexa.  She looked at the blank page.  She looked at the girl across the way.  She tried to start to draw.  The girl had a long braid, a brunette like Lexa and glasses like Lexa had.  She had nice fingers too but they were not as slender as--

Lexa’s.

In frustration she tossed herself back in her chair so hard that it nearly tipped over and tossed her pencil behind her at the same time.

Who was she kidding?  

How could any girl, or guy for that matter, ever compare to the girl that held her on the broken ferris wheel?  

“Clarke, are you okay?” Octavia asked her.

Clarke didn’t say anything.  She got up.  She went and picked up her pencil.

How could anyone just forget about Lexa?

\--==--

Lexa paced back and forth. Her coat swirling with each turn.  She glanced out the windows at every person whom came close to the band’s bus but none of them were the security team she sent out into the campsites to look for Clarke.  It was nearly time for the show and they were no closer to finding Clarke than they had been the night before.  She sighed and turned her back and started walking toward the back of her bus again.  All she needed to complete her look for the show was her war paint.  It took only a few minutes.  She had plenty time to wait for Clarke--

“Lexa, you realise this is stupid?  Show is over tonight.  In the morning we go and get the car and--”

Lexa, hearing those words, spun, “I cannot believe you lost your phone, Anya!” she countered stalking quickly up to her until she was in Anya’s space, “how can I call Raven now and have her get Clarke?”

“Wait, whoa,” Anya raised her eyebrows, “first, it’s my phone. Second, Raven was my date and not you’re answering or dating service.  Third,” she stressed with a dramatic roll of her eyes.  Anya moved back and flopped onto the nearby couch, “I can’t believe you sweated that girl’s number off your hand! The first girl you’ve wanted anything to do with since--”

“Shut up,” Lexa rolled her eyes.  For what was probably the sixteenth time that day she grabbed her phone off the counter nearby and called Anya’s phone.  For probably the sixteenth time that day she found herself reaching Anya’s voicemail that said, “Woods voicemail. Start talking.” Her sister was always so …direct.  Lexa said into the phone, “Look okay, whoever you are you need to bring this phone to the back-stage security immediately--”

“Your messages are pointless, Lexa,” Anya pointed out for what was probably the sixteenth time that day, “no one can pick them up without my password.”

Lexa ended the call and turned to her sister, “well they are not answering and I can’t just do nothing-”

“The phone is probably dead.” Anya said to her, “I will just buy a new one when we leave this festival.  Look, Lexa,” Anya sighed and got up, “we can go to Raven’s shop after this is over, okay? Tell her you’re sorry, get the number---”

“By then it will be too late! Tell me Anya, if a girl stood you up for two days would you want anything to do with her again?” Lexa pointed out, “I have to find her now.”

Anya snorted, “Probably I wouldn’t want anything to do with her if she stood me up for a few hours.”

“Exactly,” Lexa stated.  She blinked when she caught what Anya had said, “but …a few hours?  You should give more time than that.  It might be an accident…”

“I don’t waste time,” Anya replied, “I did my part.  I stood where we were supposed to meet but won’t be made a fool either. If a girl wanted to see me that badly, she would put the effort in to find me anyway. And then I would know it was important--”

“And Raven?”

Anya turned her head a little bit, “in my case, I have to find her.  It goes both ways, Lexa.”

“Wait,” Lexa was stricken suddenly.  She felt herself back up slowly until she hit the wall behind her.  Her brain was whirling like it usually did when she was coming up with a new song, but this time it was full of memories of those two hours with Clarke and also, “what did you just say?”

“That it goes both ways?”

“No, before that--” Lexa needed to hear this again.

Anya looked as though she was considering not answering the question before answering carefully anyway, “that …..I have to find raven?”

“No,” Lexa pushed off the wall, “before that?”

“That…” Anya was perplexed now; it was not often, if at all, that Lexa would back them up through a whole conversation unless it had something to do with them writing a song. Which was, it was easy to tell, they were very much not doing right now.  She repeated anyway, “if a girl wanted to see me that badly, she would put the effort in to find me anyway. And then I would know it was important.”

“I have an idea.” Lexa whispered. She would put in that effort, “how to find her. Tonight. I have a way to do it.” Her eyes blinked because they were not seeing the inside of her bus anymore.  They were already focused on tonight, on what would happen on the stage, no, on what would happen right after, “I’ll do the song.” she started pacing slowly again, but more rapidly and with purpose now.

“Song?” Anya questioned, watching her, “which song, Lexa?”

“Winds of Time, we…” mid-pace she turned to her sister quickly, “tonight we start with that.”

“Winds.. wait, what?” Anya began, staring at her as though she’d lost her mind, “that’s a slow song. You don’t start shows on slow songs, Lexa.  Heda is known to--”

But Lexa started pacing again, “and then …then we put ‘Faded Warriors’ in the middle--”

“Faded War --what?” Anya sounded more than confused.

“And,” Lexa decided, “there’s this song a friend of mine does that I like that I haven’t stopped thinking of since I met Clarke. If he says its okay, we end tonight with it.”

Anya shoved to her feet, her voice now full of stark concern, “Lexa, you …you’ve lost your freaking mind. You’re going to close with a cover?” 

Lexa turned to her shortly, “well the song just has words she needs to hear. That I need her to hear. Its always about the message.”

“Wait, wait,” Anya asked staring at her as though to clarify, “you are going to change up your whole show, just for a girl?”

“Not just a girl,” Lexa corrected, “Clarke. I’m changing the whole show for Clarke.” 

“My God,” Anya accused staring at her, her voice was both dry and strangely full of wonder, “you’re in love.”

Lexa took a step forward and ignored what Anya just said. Before she could blush from her sister’s suggestion she asked, “the hot air balloons are out, yes?”

“All day.” Anya confirmed, “Since the announcement was made we won final show.”

“Radio up to them,” Lexa decided “have them start dropping the little gear symbols from them right now.”

“Those are for after the show--”

“Now, Anya.” Lexa insisted.  Clarke needed this reminder of them in case she’d forgotten her and Lexa partly was afraid she had, not that she would blame her.

“Yeah.” Her sister stared at her full on, shaking her head, “you really have lost your mind--”

“Anya!”

“Okay, okay, now. We will start dropping them now.” Anya looked her over, “but you might want to get your make up on though, Alexandria?” she raised an eyebrow at Lexa and checked her watch, “it is an hour ‘til Showtime.”

Lexa glanced at the clock.  She swore under her breath.  It really was an hour until Showtime and they still had to do sound-checks and tell the others of the changes in the show tonight.  She turned.  She grabbed her paint from where it lay in a box on the counter and started smearing it on in a mirror.  She saw Anya come up behind her.  In the mirror Anya just smirked at her and walked away, rolling her eyes. 

-=-

It was almost cold tonight.

But you could not tell it by the way people were shedding their jackets and tying them at their waist because it was too warm in the crowds because there were too many people. The festival grounds were bursting at the seams for this last show.  You couldn’t move side to side without bumping someone.  You couldn’t even hear yourself think from the roaring voices.  And you could barely see anything from all the arms raised high into the air like trees reaching for the stars high over-head.  

Standing between Raven and Octavia Clarke skimmed her eyes over the vast sprawling crowd.  In the dark she could not see the end of it no matter which way she looked.  

Gustus had come to their camp to say hi, incognito on the back of a golf cart, and he told them there were nearly ninety thousand people here.  It had been so busy all week that he hadn’t had a chance to stop and knew he wasn’t really going to get one so he just came anyway.  He also said that the last ten thousand of those people had poured through the gates just today to see Grounders tonight, hearing they had won.  He never thought Grounders would play here.  Clarke had to remind him how big the Giant Five -through staging at many venues world wide- had become.  She had to remind him he might soon be seeing only big names from here on out, no more one hit wonders like Soggy Booty or whatever the bad the day before had been.  Muddy Booty, he had corrected. Causing her to grin even if she felt sad about not hearing from Lexa.  He always did that.  But she was concerned.  Because Gustus never wanted attention like this.  But he grinned too in contradiction because Grounders were on his ranch. 

Grounders, warriors of the salt of the Earth, they often said, that played brutal, truthful, sometimes painful emotionally wrenching songs; about life, about truth, about lies, about sex, about death, about glory and loss and anger and very rarely about love and hope.  These past few years her songs had been mostly about anger, and hurt, and loss and no one knew why.  But no one denied it either; Grounders had power.  They had ability to move people through so many emotional levels in the course of a song or two. 

And so as the dim gray lights filled the stage and the billows of clouds of smoke made by dry-ice started rolling forward over the stage to spill onto the audience below, Clarke clutched the little gold foil Heda gear tight in her hand that she had picked up earlier from when they had been dropped by the balloons in the sky. Lexa wore one like a necklace to keep her grounded. In some weird way it made Clarke feel close to her even though she shouldn’t when she’d clearly scared her away by freaking out on the ferris wheel and going into her life story. On the still empty stage a slight roll of thunder started through the speakers. But despite her telling herself to forget about Lexa, Clarke found herself scanning the spilling seas of crowds to the left for her face.

As the thunder started rolling louder and louder and lights went from gray to deep purple and figures of the band started to slowly walk out of the smoke and slide into places at their instruments, Clarke looked across the crowds to her right for Lexa--

As the first few drumbeats slowly ticked up very slowly and the guitars started a very slow series of familiar cords that almost sounded like water dropping into a pond Clarke was looking behind her into the crowds that vanished into the dark—

 _“I am lost without her face. I am lost without her soul,”_ Heda started singing and Clarke ripped her gaze around. She’d been daydreaming and hadn’t seen her take the stage. Her heart picked up with the vibrations from the music as the singer slipped through the fog on the stage as she walked across the front of it from one end to the other. Around Clarke everyone suddenly started screaming as they recognized the opening song as Heda, clad in her long coat and red sash, stopped in the center of the stage and sang on with her face toward the sky, _“and I’m listening for her voice to answer my cries. I can’t see her. But I can still feel her. She’s around me everywhere,”_ she started to turn in a slow circle in the center of the stage, her coat swirling until she faced forward again. The shimmering lights caught the black war paint covering her face as though it was magic, _“standing out there in these sands of time. In these winds of time.”_

“Well shit, she’s doing Winds of Time!” in excitement and barely able to contain herself, Raven elbowed Clarke, causing Clarke to look her way, “she’s doing your song first, Clarkey!”

“She is!” Octavia on the other side of Clarke countered, leaning onto her keyboard case, “just let her watch it Raven!”

But Clarke had already turned back to the stage, Heda was on her knees now reaching out toward the crowds, _“Part of my your soul is strung through my life, tangled and blown on the storms, tossed in the winds, dark ribbons of red combine to hold us together while we're apart. no matter how far we are. Until we meet again in these sands,”_ she pushed to her feet, _“I am lost without her warmth. I am lost without her touch. The memories run deep and give me wings to fly in my sleep leaving me reaching for her. Just take a hold of my hand,” she reached toward the audience as though with everything she had and every muscle locked, “I’ll pull you through. To me,”_ she let the hand slowly fall, _“from where ever you are each time through all the winds of time.”_

Clarke felt choked up.  Her lungs hurt, not able to breathe.  Watching and listening under those purple lights with smoke pouring around her the girl on the stage seemed so distressed and emotional it made her think of Lexa. She had told Lexa this was her favorite song.  She had told her and a selfish little hurting part of Clarke hoped that maybe Lexa was watching this with her. Maybe she was thinking of her, too.  

She shouldn’t hope things like this and Clarke knew a part of her was standing there still hoping.

In the morning, all these people would pack up and drive away, taking her hopes of finding Lexa somewhere in the crowd away forever.  Clarke would be driving back to California.  Maybe that is why she thought this. Maybe that is why she hoped that Lexa was still here.  So maybe they could have this one song.  Clarke held her jaw stiff and tight as tears tried –and failed- to blur up her vision. But it was difficult. Because the ending of the song made her feel like knowing Lexa might still be here but was driving away come morning was tearing her apart more than she liked it to, since she barely even knew the girl? How could it be possible she felt so upset-

 _“-Where-ever you are. Forever with me. It doesn’t take breath.”_ Heda was pacing back and forth over the stage almost desperately, as though the words of this song were painful to her, _“or eyes to see, side by side,"_ she stopped moving at last at center stage again and closed her eyes slowly under the lights, _“it tears us apart but we will always hide. Sheltered together in these winds …of time.”_

“You know you’ll see her at the shop, right?” Raven spoke up next to Clarke, as though knowing what Clarke was trembling about. Clarke glanced over at her and Raven shrugged and went on, “they have to come get the car.”

Clarke hadn’t thought of that. But now that she did a word she didn’t expect left her lips, “no.” she said, “I don’t want to.” She glanced at Raven and then up at the stage, as the song ended with a light roll of fading music and then changed with the lights into a much, much faster and louder song. Clarke had to shout over it to be heard, “its pretty clear she doesn’t want me, Raven! How can I go there and look at her again?” Up on the stage Heda was shouting the Lyrics of ‘Dark Losses’ into the microphone and jumping around, moving back a few steps to meet up with her band as they moved forward a few steps to line up with her. The purple lights moved to shades of red and gold.

But Raven had no answer to that, it seemed. And thousands and thousands of voices were cheering and screaming in Clarke’s ears as the song went on into the next song after and then into the next and the next. Thousands of voices roaring into the night like the loud vibrations of the music shaking Clarke’s insides and rumbling through the earth under her as she watched Heda pacing about rapidly, shouting out songs between gulps of water, teasing her drummer or her guitarists. The singer was known to shed clothes soon as sweat started soaking her skin, and in the middle of the song ‘Empire of Nights’ it started to happen; first with the belt and the sash and coat, one after another hit the stage and everywhere girls in the crowds were screaming. They would crawl onto the stage to be pulled away by security right before reaching the dripping hot singer, if they were lucky to have touched her they would be babbling. The band would cover these interruptions from fans with bursts of extended instrumentals allowing Heda to back away and haul air into her lungs before charging forward right back into her music, usually with a flying leap that would leave her kneeling at center stage as though nothing had happened. She would call apologies out to fans being pulled away. She pushed up from the last one and grabbed a water bottle from near the drum set and drank deeply with her fingers curled around it and as she did – all sound from the band suddenly stopped.

Sensing this pause in music, the crowds went utterly quiet as well and the still that filled the air was thick with sweat, with heat, with the smell of alcohol –and with a blanket of curiosity.

Moving to the front of the stage, Heda grabbed her black guitar on the way past it's stand, moved up to the very edge of the stage and stopped and looked out over the crowds, “so hi out there,” she greeted. Which made everyone in the crowds roar to life suddenly with cheering. But while the singer scanned the crowds, up on the big screens, to Clarke, she looked nervous as green eyes glimmered under black war paint, “I want to thank you all for coming out to see us and basically,” she finally lifted the guitar and strummed it once, a little, as though almost in distraction or as if trying to collect her thoughts, “getting us where we are today. Because without you, my band and I,” the lights all went up brightly over the Grounder's band, “would never have gotten where we are today. Let's hear it for Lincoln!”

The crowds whistled and roared and Lincoln, the lead guitarist, strode forward from the back to take a bow.

 Heda was smirking, “and back on the drums we have Anya! Let's everybody give her a roar!”

The crowds were happy to comply, and for a second, lost in the feeling of the excited atmosphere, Clarke started grinning and clapping as the singer made her way around the stage. Next Alexandria announced, “over on keyboards, Luna Rivers!”

Crowds responded with shouts and whistles and cheers and screams as the cameras zoomed in on Luna Rivers behind the keyboards. She played a few notes and looked up and tossed her arms in the air. Heda moved back, “and last but definitely not least – the woman that makes everyone's insides shake just by plucking a few strings, Emori.” Lexa motioned toward the bassist with a smile on her face.

Crowds got to their feet cheering for Emori. Clarke settled into it, laughing and screaming as Emori played a few notes. Finally though the noise died down to a low rumble of chattering voices and 83 thousand people rustling around. Heda's smile faded away slowly as she made her way back to the front of the stage with her guitar in her hand, “my band and I want you to know that we are forever thankful for you and we want you all to know that you are all my people and it is always,” she strummed a few notes and looked around at the crowds again, “always about my people. Everyone out there is a Grounder!--”

This, of course, brought a roar of cheering from the crowds.  Thousands of arms lifted into the air all at once to the loud screaming sounds. Clarke watched another girl tried to get onto the stage only to have Heda back up and security pull her off stage again. Heda winced, “I’m sorry,” she said to the girl.  She snorted, “guess there’s rules here that keeps you down there.” she strummed her guitar again and walked back and forth for a few seconds in thought, making the crowd fall quiet to watch her.  Finally she stopped and turned to them, “but I’m about to break them all and have one of you come up here.”

This made laughter rumble in waves over the masses of people.  This made Clarke even bite her lip and smile just a little bit. Heda picked out a few more notes before adding, “see I have this problem.  We um, only have about ten minutes left of our show tonight.  And last night at this festival I met this girl--”

Predictability was always amazing.  As though right on cue nearly ninety-thousand people broke into whistles, applause, and cheers.  Clarke found herself clapping out of habit with them and wondering what song she was introducing like this.

Octavia elbowed her, “is she doing a new song?”

Raven agreed, “I think she is. I think she's gonna do a new song.”

But Clarke wasn't really listening to her friends. She wanted to. She meant to. But she felt her heart slowly sinking down and down in her chest. She closed her eyes and and slowly opened them up trying to get ahold of herself and not be upset here. But it was hard, because she knew exactly what Heda was talking about. She knew the magic of meeting a girl here too, and the grief of losing her before anything could begin.

On the stage the singer was waiting out the cheers. But when they died down she took a deep breath that was heard over the microphone as though it was meant to calm her nerves, “so this girl,” she went on, “I met her last night back at the Ferris wheel,” Heda looked toward the behemoth still lit up and spinning slowly at the back of the festival grounds but those exact words sent a pang of alarm through Clarke.

It couldn't be, she thought. But it seemed all she could do was stare at the singer's face on the giant screens, there was no possible way...

Was there?

“And it was magic,” Heda offered the crowds, looking around at all of them and lifting onto her toes as if to see all the way to the back like she was searching just for a single face in a sea of faces and as though on cue, the spotlights all turned on and started roving over the packed crowds.

Magic.

Clarke stopped breathing at the likeness of the comparison she had made earlier. It was coincidental. It was unreal. Still she felt herself swallow hard and take a step toward the singer. She could not be Lexa. Clarke shook her head a little trying to discern the face under the paint, could she?

Clarke was suddenly slamming against her ribs far too fast.

Because up on the stage, Heda sighed softly and lowered her gaze at last and as if on cue, all the lights shut off again except for one spotlight trained solely on the singer who's voice lowered just an octave to admit, “but I lost her number, and I don't know where she is now,” she stopped talking a minute and played a few more notes before stopping again, “I don't even know if you're still out there-”

The pounding of Clarke's heart was growing a little stronger, harder, she could hear it in her ears, Heda could not be Lexa, could she? But there was a jelly-like feeling of nerves coursing through her body as she took another step.

Raven saw Clarke, “Clarke, you're shaking,” she grabbed her hand, “Clarke, what's wrong.” Clarke just tugged her hand away carefully, and glanced at Raven for a second before the strum of Alexandria's guitar pulled her eyes back toward the stage and the single spotlight and the girl standing under it. Laying a hand over the strings to stop one more time the song she was starting to pick out the singer went on, “so I called up a friend of mine, Chris. And I asked if I could do one of his songs* for closing tonight. And he said yes. So back to this girl. Her name starts with a C-”

Fuck. It was Lexa. Clarke suddenly couldn't breathe because a lump was suddenly taking up residence in her throat; not even if her life depended on having air in her lungs--

It really was her.

“Shit, Clarke, shit!” Octavia was suddenly screaming into her ears and grabbing onto her arm making everyone look at them. But Clarke's head suddenly felt stuffed with cotton, muffling her friend's squeals, muffling out everything in fact except the sound of the girl on stage as she turned and pulled up a stood from behind her and sat on it, “if you're still out there, this song is for you.” she strummed the guitar again, this time until cords were suddenly spilling out over the speakers and changing into the intro of a song. A drum beat picked up in the background and -Lexa- started to sing, _“you never know when you're gonna meet someone..”_

Clarke was shaking. Her heart fluttering nervously and with disbelief. Breath was finally fluttering into her lungs.

Lexa’s hands worked beautifully through the cords as the words left her pretty lips. _“--and your whole wide world in a moment comes undone.”_

“Shit, shit, shit, Clarke!” Raven was screaming. She shoved Clarke accidentally, nearly jumping onto her back with excitement, “that's her!” the crowds went roaring to their feet clapping recognizing the song at the same time she did.

 _“You’re just walking around and suddenly everything that you thought that you knew about love is gone,”_ Lexa got up to her feet under the single spotlight, _“you find out its all been wrong, and all my scars don’t seem to matter anymore. ‘Cause they led me here to you--”_

The sudden jelly-like feeling that swept through her body made it hard to make her legs work, but Clarke started stumbling forward through the packed crowd anyway. Up on the stage Lexa's eyes closed and her face tilted up toward the stars, black mask glimmering on the wide screens as she picked up the chorus and added as much emotion as she could to the song, _“I know that its gonna take some time got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind this might end up like it should.”_ her fingers struck cords desperately as she used her body to try and balance the music, _“and I’m gonna say what I need to say and hope to God that it don’t scare you away…”_

Somewhere behind her, Clarke thought she might hear her friends calling her back. But she was mesmerized by Lexa and just kept pushing her way slowly through the people between them. Some would turn and just look at her in surprise, others would glare at her as she cut in front of them. Dirt and grass crunched under her shoes with each step as she glot closer and closer to the stage. Up on the giant screens, Lexa's face was sweating and her lips looked parched. Her eyes flashed open briefly and then closed again as the angle of the camera changed catching sight of the glimmering Heda gear she wore and the slight sheen of sweat on her skin, _“don’t wanna be misunderstood. But I’m starting to believe that this could be the start of something good.”_

The rest of the band picked up the music. Clarke's steps picked up pace too and she wanted to get to where Lexa was. Her skin was shaking but she started nearly to run. Clarke moved more people aside if she had to. Then she was close enough to see Lexa without the large screens.

Dark curls wet with sweat fell over the guitar as she played a brief instrumental. Lexa wet her lips with a pink tongue and started the next verse, _“everyone knows life has its ups and downs.  One day you’re on top of the world and one day you’re the clown,”_ she threw her head up toward the stars and punched through the next lines, _“well I’ve been both enough to know that you don’t want to get in the way when its working out the way that is is right now.”_ Clarke took a few more steps forward, pushing through the third and the second row of seating. Then the first.

Lexa lowered her face to focus on her guitar cords. Her teeth ground together, _“you see my heart I wear it on my sleeve. Cause I can’t hide it anymore.”_ Sweat dropped from Lexa’s body with each strum of the guitar.  Drop after drop hit the stage floor. Clarke was shaking as she put her fingertips slowly on the edge of it. She felt her lips part as Lexa looked up abruptly and her body jerked when their eyes locked.  Lexa exhaled visibly.  

And for just a few seconds -as though on cue- the music stopped. Still watching Clarke she slowly set her guitar aside and continued softly, _“you never know when you’re gonna meet someone--”_

Music exploded from the speakers.  Lexa stepped back.  Hands at her sides she closed her eyes and lifted her face to the stars.  Knuckles clenched and white she poured everything she had into the song, _“I know that its gonna take some time I got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind this might end up like it should,”_ her lungs heaved for air, _“and I’m gonna say what I need to say and hope to God that it don’t scare you away.  But I’m starting to believe that this could be the start…”_ her eyes shot open.  She dashed toward Clarke, _“cause I don’t know where its going,”_ Lexa hit her knees in the stage right in front of her, _“there’s a part of me that loves not knowing.”_ Clarke saw her own face fill the big screens as Lexa focused on her.  She heard the roars of the crowds as the image came up.  Replaced by Lexa’s green eyes shining at her in a mix of fright and hope under the black mask, _“just don’t let it end before we begin….”_ the words trailed off Lexa’s lips over the mic as she slowly reached out and extended a hand to her.

Clarke looked at the hand.  The cameras focused on it. Lexa’s outstretched hand filled the large screens.  As the music grew quieter as though to mimic the gesture, with a thumping, frightened heart and not even sure what she was doing Clarke put her fingers into Lexa’s to find she wasn’t the only one shaking.

With a shaky smile Lexa pulled her onto the stage.  Clarke stared in wonder.  Lexa looked at their fingers that were still together, _“you never know when you’re gonna meet someone--”_ a hand brushed across the back of her palm.  She suddenly felt fear hit her like she hadn’t known.  Fear and a surge of adrenaline and happiness that escape her as a wide smile when Lexa looked up at her eyes and music exploded from the band.  Lexa’s voice filled the air as she looked right at her and sang to her, _“I know its gonna take some time I’ve got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind this might end up like it should, and I’m gonna say what I need to say and hope to God that it don’t scare you away.  I don’t want to be misunderstood.  But I’m starting to believe.  Oh I’m starting to believe--”_

Drums crashed. Lexa kissed the back of her fingers, _“this could be the start of something good.”_

Clarke’s legs were going to give up any minute.  They were jelly.  Behind them the background singers were trailing off the end of the song.  Lexa tightened her grip in Clarke’s and finished her last line, _“yeah this could be the start of something good.”_

Lights faded down.  Lexa returned the mic to the stand.  She picked up her guitar with one hand and gave a short bow to the audience, hand still locked in Clarke’s.  Then she was tugging Clarke off the stage as the crowd roared and the band kept playing.  Clarke felt her nerves jumping and was barely able to contain herself as she followed Lexa into the shelter off the left side of the stage and down a short flight of back steps. 

With the music still fading behind them and the roar of the crowd in her ears Clarke found herself suddenly pushed up against a wall.  Lexa’s hands tightened under her shoulders, “Clarke,” she was gasping as though thirsty, “I had to find you. I sweated your number away--” 

Clarke scrabbled at Lexa’s back, “Lexa,” she realized, “you need …you need water…” she pulled Lexa’s face up just enough to look at her. To see the sweat causing more trails of warpaint to roll down her face. But Lexa’s hands were in her hair and her lips were on Clarke’s suddenly,hot and soft and sucking as though Clarke’s mouth were candy--

Clarke groaned.  She felt herself melt into a puddle. She slapped her hands tight around Lexa’s thin waist.  If she thought she was dizzy before when finding out Lexa on stage she was certainly beyond breathless now. Tightening her hands on Lexa she kissed her trembling warm lips, lips that seemed suddenly desperate. Lexa grunted and pushed her harder into the wall at her back--

Clarke thought she heard steps running up.  But she didn’t care.  All she cared about was Lexa, and kissing her, and the little soft sounds coming from the soft lips on hers--

“Lexa, I!…” a voice shouted out suddenly.  This made the kiss come to a screaming, uncomfortable jolt as Lexa broke it and, one hand still pressed to the wall, she half turned around.  This made Clarke swallow from breath, for sanity and flutter her eyes open.  She was still trying to understand why Lexa had gone suddenly stiff in her arms, why she had pulled away. Then her eyes focused on the reason, the speaker, the intruder into their little moment, whom happened to be a dark eyed beautiful woman standing in apparent shock just a few feet away.

This made Clarke freeze up.  She was still trying to understand what was happening when the woman sighed heavily, folded her arms and rolled her eyes and glared at Lexa, “well, performing always did turn you on.” 

Lexa glanced from Costia, to Clarke, and back to Costia again. She took Clarke by the elbow and pulled her close.  Clarke saw the stiffening of Lexa’s jaw as she stared at the intruder.  When Lexa spoke after a beat of this uncomfortable stare-down her voice was formal and almost cold, “what do you want, Costia?”

“I.” Costia broke off for a minute. Her eyes shifted from Lexa to Clarke and back again, “I wanted to sign you--”

“I have a contract already.” Lexa said crisply.

Costia snorted and shifted a little.  Her eyes shifted from Lexa and onto Clarke with a look that made Clarke’s temper rise a little before she looked at Lexa again, “who is this?”

Lexa tightened her grip a little and at the same time took a step forward, “that’s none of your business.”

“I’m…” Clarke started to speak.

Lexa warned with a quick glance at her, “don’t say your name.”

Clarke felt surprise fill her. She had no idea who this woman was.  And maybe that was part of the reason Lexa had cut her off - because Lexa did know who she was.  So she listened and went quiet.

Costia laughed under her breath, “its will be all over the tabloids anyway, you know.  Mega-Star Lexa Woods caught fucking with a whore after closing out the Big Five.” 

Clarke felt Lexa stiffen with the insult.  Lexa simply stated though, “she is not, and we were not having sex.”  

It was Clarke’s turn to slide a hand along Lexa’s waistline now.  She was already starting to dislike this woman.  Clarke finally addressed Costia, “ I think you should leave.”

But Costia ignored her, “you know,” she wet her lips, “back there, when you said her name started with a C? For a minute,” she tilted her head a little, “I thought you were talking about me.”

“You thought wrong,” Lexa informed her, “goodnight, Costia.” she took Clarke’s arm again and started to move them away.

“You’re going to regret this, Lexa!” Costia shouted suddenly.  Lexa stopped long enough to turn, “I don’t think so--” she said.

“Well, look who it is.” Anya snorted suddenly as she appeared coming down the short flight of steps. This sudden appearance made Lexa smile. Which made Clarke smile too and she didn’t even know why.  Anya got right into Costia’s space, “pretty sure I heard them tell you to leave.” 

But Costia wasn’t intimidated, “this is none of your business, Anya.”

“I think it is,” Anya answered, “now get lost.” 

Costia only continued to glare at Anya, and glance past her to Lexa.

“Hey!” Anya broke the look by demanding right in Costia’s face, “don’t you get it? You lost.” she smirked.  For a second it seemed as though Anya was going to push Costia away.  Costia must have thought so too, “don’t you dare touch me.”

Anya’s eyes narrowed, “oh don’t even dream for a second that I would.”

Beside her Clarke thought she heard Lexa laugh, but she couldn’t tell for sure.  Lexa quickly turned her head but not before Clarke saw amusement in green eyes behind streaks of black paint.

Costia heard it too.  For a minute she gaped at Lexa like a fish as though she wanted to say something but then she just turned and stormed away, vanishing into the dark amid the buses and the far corner of the back of the stage. Only after she had gone did Clarke see Lexa visibly exhale.  

“You did good, Lex.” Anya clapped Lexa on the forearm.  She looked at Clarke as Clarke came to them, “Clarke.  You have no idea what this one…” she motioned to Lexa, “was like today.”

“I was like nothing,” Lexa protested instantly.

“Right,” Anya rolled her eyes, “you were like nothing.” Then she looked at Clarke, “and I want your phone.”  Finally she folded her arms and strode away from them into the dark calling back, “you have two seconds before everyone comes after us. So kiss her already!”

Clarke felt herself blushing a little.  But she also felt Lexa’s fingers on her face, and then her soft lips placed a chaste kiss against hers.  Clarke tightened her hands on Lexa’s waist and the kiss went from chaste to desperate and Clarke’s warm lips were stealing Lexa’s breath. She needed air at last though,, pulling back and drawing in deep lungfuls she settled her forehead on Clarke’s, “there is a huge party,” she said, “and I owe you a drink.”

“Or an ice cream?” Clarke asked, breathless, her head thudding against the wall.

“Or an ice cream.” Lexa laughed, smoothing her hair back with her hands to kiss her forehead.  Over her shoulder Anya called back to them, “Clarke, I need your phone!”

“What!” Clarke shouted back, for some reason she felt she could. 

“Phone!”

“She wants to call Raven.” Lexa informed, “I wouldn’t let her touch it if I were you. She looses phones allot.”

“Shut up, Lexa!” Anya called out again as though she could hear her, “Clarke!” she shotued even louder, she turned in the dark some good distance away to face them.  It started raining, hard, heavy, loud rain that instantly drenched everything. Clarke broke into smiles as it started pelting her. At least it had waited for after the show.  Through the dark Anya was suddenly cursing and swearing.  Lexa just laughed and laced their fingers together.  Clarke looked at their hands as the rest of the band started coming down the stairs.  

_I don’t know where its going…_

They were smiling at Lexa as they filed by.  The one at the end stopped, “good show tonight Lex.” he said.

_There’s a part of me that loves not knowing._

“It was Lincoln.” Lexa answered him, “you did great taking over guitar.” 

_Just don’t let it end before it begins._

Lincoln went the direction Anya went.  Lexa turned her head to watch him vanish into the rain.  Clarke felt her heart fluttering softly as she looked at Lexa.  As Lexa turned and looked at her and smiled a shy smile, “we don’t have to go.  I can take you back to your camp.”

_You never know when you’re gonna met someone._

Clarke just smiled back. She swung their hands back and forth between them gently, “lets go to the party, Lexa.”

_And your whole wide world in a moment comes undone.._

Lexa grinned back at her in the rain.  Gripped her fingers and turned and ran after her band.  Catching her breath and struggling to not slip in the rain, Clarke held on tighter …and ran with her.  She ran with it knowing she might be falling in love.

 

-=-

(links to the other 2 fics in this au available in the notes below)

(*Song Credit: 'The Start of Something Good' by Daughtry)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Continue to Lullaby of the Giant Five part 2/3: [Here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12996966/chapters/29718708). **Note:** sequel is explicit/nsfw.)
> 
> I wrote this fic in May of 2017, and it has become so much more than the original 2k oneshot I'd planned. For those of you asking, yes, there are many more sequels to this GFAU (Giant Five AU) either written or on the way. You can find out more about that on my tumblr [here](https://adistantstarblog.tumblr.com/gfaushort) or just come to visit or to find out about my other works including my upcoming f/f original series of books. 
> 
> I hope you liked 'The Giant Five'. I am planning a much larger chapter fic based on this one and will add a 'Chapter 4' as an author's note to let you know when the larger fic is up. So if you're interested stay tuned. 
> 
> Kudos are appreciated if you liked it. Links to my other fics on ao3 can be found [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DistantStar/works?page=1). Thanks for Reading.


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